Page 7

Story: The Road to Forever

She smiles softly, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here. Instead of asking her why becoming my wife gives her anxiety, I pull her into my arms and hug her tightly.
“Let’s go to the beach,” she says after we part. “And then you can help me study and see how great it would be to go to school.”
I nod and force a fake laugh. Why is she pushing this college thing suddenly? Unless I decide to change career paths and become some renowned surgeon, I can easily support her and our future family with what I make from my music. Why isn’t this enough for her?
When Nola and I arrive,she goes to sit down, which strikes me as odd. I figured she would want to find my sisters, but she takes a seat in the front row, where my parents will also sit.
Josie sits in the front row on the groom’s side, with her and Liam filling in as Ben’s family since his is incredibly self-centered and only out for money. Ben and I definitely have that in common—dysfunctional mothers. I’m so thankful she ditched me at my dad’s and never came back until I was old enough to deal with her on my own. Even more thankful he had her parental rights terminated when I was younger.
Inside the winery, I find Ben and Noah sitting at the bar. I saddle up to them and order whatever Noah’s drinking.
“You doing okay?” I ask Ben.
He nods but looks pale as shit.
“Dude, you’re already married to my sister. Why do you look like you’re going to puke?”
Noah laughs and takes a drink of his beer.
“I have no clue,” Ben says as he dabs sweat from his forehead.
“Seriously, are you feeling okay?” I would hate to think he’s having cancer-related issues. I put my hand on his shoulder and give him a squeeze.
“Just nervous, and I don’t know why,” he says. “We’re already husband and wife, we have a dog, and now we have a baby on the way. This should be a walk in the park for me.”
“Maybe because you’re doing all of this in front of friends and family?” Noah asks. “An all-eyes-on-you moment.”
“Possibly.”
“Well, I think I speak for my entire family when I say you’ve got nothing to worry about. My sister will be walking down the aisle and into your hands shortly.”
“Thank God,” he mutters and then downs a glass of water.
A glass breaks, catching our attention. I look at the bartender, whose mouth is hanging open. Following her gaze, I roll my eyes when I see my dad and Liam walking toward us, both in tuxedos with their collars and first couple of buttons undone and their hands in their pockets. Of course, the sun casts them in some sex symbol glow.
I look at Noah and smirk. “It’s as if we aren’t famous.”
Noah cackles. “At least we’re not old.”
The bartender seems to snap out of her sudden stupor. She shakes her head as my dad and Liam approach us.
“Holy shit,” she mutters as she walks away.
“Why must you ruin everything?” Noah asks them.
“What did we ruin?” Liam asks, only I suspect he knows exactly what Noah’s talking about.
“We can’t help it if we look good,” my dad adds. “Hot men in tuxes. Your mom definitely agrees.”
“Gross.”
My dad laughs. “Funny, your sister said the same thing.”
I don’t even need to know which sister. As long as one of them agrees with me, I’m solid.
Unfortunately for our egos, the bartender returns and very painstakingly asks the dads—soon to be grandfathers—what they want to drink. I’m not sure how she can function with her shaking fingers.
“Can you just offer to take a selfie with her so she can get back to work,” I say to the dads. “Clearly, you’ve flustered her.”